Thunder Road

Arthur Ripley directs this cult classic crime/Noir. War vet Robert Mitchum returns home to ramrod the family moonshine business. This hard headed bootlegger takes on the Feds and the Mob while burning the roads in his whiskey laden hot rods. If that is not enough, he must keep his young brother(James Mitchum)from moving up from mechanic to driver in the family business and then there is the romancing of a Memphis chanteuse(Keely Smith). Also in the cast are Gene Barry, Sandra Knight and Jacques Aubuchon. Bob Mitchum produces, and takes partial writing credit plus writes songs for this evocative glimpse of southern culture. Mitchum also oversees his younger brother's film debut.

NOTE: It is said that Elvis Presley enjoyed this movie so much he memorized bad Bob's lines of the script.

Whatever the film lacks, which is a lot, focus on the imagery -- duelling hotrods, a dangling cigarette, and country two-lanes, along with a precious load of illegal booze, family honor, and a good woman. This is movie myth-making at its near purest, so what else could a ducktailed Elvis- clone of the 50's have wanted. Girls may have swooned over treacle like "A Summer Place", but hot-rodders packed this drive-in classic bumper to bumper. Sure, it's badly produced ($50 budget, tops), badly acted (even Mitchum struggles with the hopeless Keely Smith), and features one of the worst canvas backdrops on record (the water-wheel scene). Still it has the King of Cool gunning down the asphalt (don't let the sleepy eyes fool you), pits rugged individualism against angry collectivism (organized crime and big govn't), and opens with a throbbing title tune (composed and sung by Mitchum) -- topped by a look and feel unlike the usual Hollywood contrivance. And who can forget those forlorn headbeams searching their way through an existential void. The imagery was compelling and caught the edgy mood of a drive-in crowd feeling their own way through a world of teenage angst. Few would grow into the mythic shoes of road-warrior, Luke Doolin, but a lot sure wanted to try. Which is why this primitive slice of small-screen black-and-white continues to resonate, even into the big-screen myth-making of souped-up starships, evil empires, and computerized magic.

I was 14 when I first viewed "Thunder Road" at a local drive In in North Georgia. It was in June 1958 after the movie was released in May of that year. The movie was an immediate smash hit with viewers that night, many of whom were in the "whiskey" business and who had taken the night off to see the film. After the show the exit from the drive in was blackened by the burning rubber left by many of the patrons leaving the premises, several of whom owned "whiskey cars" of equal or greater horsepower than those in the film. Since that night I have seen the movie many times and it always brings back great memories of the era. 2007 will be the 50th anniversary of the filming of the movie and 2008 will be the anniversary of its release date. Wouldn't it be interesting if someone or some company put together a 50th Anniversary Thunder Road event like the recreation of the cars in the movie along with special appearances at regional car shows, complete with car magazine articles and perhaps even a road test of the vintage autos. The re-release of the DVD to include the out takes would also be popular. Who knows what MGM and NASCAR could do with a team effort? WHB

Thunder road. just the name brings back memories of being young. My dad's favourite movie is thunder road and he used to sing the song when I was young. He had the 45 of the ballad of Thunder road sung by Robert Mitchum. When the film was released on VHS My mom paid a $110. for it. the whole family sat down and was hooked and my dad was transported back to 1958. The film has a honest and touching quality about it. The people in it react as real people would.

The story is simple and that's part of the charm.

Lucas Doolin is home from the Korean War. Filled with a death wish. Luke drives his father's moonshine to the buyers. It's a dangerous job. the Mob is out to shut them down by any means needed. and the Tresury department is out to shut down the mob and the moonshiners. When drivers start getting killed and some drivers are arrested the pressure is on. only one driver is brave enough or reckless enough to keep running and that's Luke. Despite pressure from his mother and his father and his lover to quit. Luke just can't bring himself to quit. The recklessness of it gives him a thrill. Plus he doesn't like to be told what to do. When the mob boss contacts Luke and asks him to work for him Luke declines even though he knows it means a death sentence. When the Boss tells him if he can't get him then he'll get his brother Robin to drive. Luke beats the man and warns him. That No one will ever make a whisky runner out of his brother he'll kill the first man that tries. When one of Luke's cars is tagged as a whisky transport Luke sells it to a friend and buys a new car. When his friend dies in the old car the victim of a bomb meant for Luke he knows his time has run out. Trapped between the Mob and the G-Men Luke makes his last run and his last stand on Thunder Road. The Movie's influence is pretty far reaching Bruce Springsteen named one of his songs after it even tho he never saw the film. Steve Earle rewrote it as Copperhead Road his biggest hit song to date. And Burt Reynolds made a career out of his whisky runners in the 70's. And to this date it's been well remembered as the king of the drive in pictures. Tough gritty with some romance and a lot of action. The acting is decent. And Robert Mitchum can forever lay claim to the title of the king of cool after making this movie. This is the Movie that Steve Mcqueen could only dream of making !

Decent if unremarkable drama of a moonshiner and the feds who are trying to shut him down. A real study in star power with Robert Mitchum commanding the screen with seemingly little effort. An interesting contrast can be made between him and his son James, making his screen debut here, their appearance is so similar that you would think their performances would have a hint of the same similarity. The senior Mitchum owns the screen with an easy charm and magnetism while the young Mitchum is stiff with a vacant stare. Keely Smith contributes a couple of terrific numbers sung in her unique style but she also comes across as uncomfortable and mechanical in any scene which doesn't require her to sing. A huge drive-in hit in its day, it's easy to see why since it has a very laid back, low budget feel.